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Blue Views is the fifth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Paul Carrack, then a member of the supergroup Mike + The Mechanics. It was Carrack's first solo album in seven years; in the interim period between solo albums, he had recorded one album as a member of Squeeze, one album as a member of Spin 1ne 2wo, and two albums as a member of Mike + The Mechanics. Blue Views was originally released in 1995 on I.R.S. Records in the UK and most other territories. In the US, it appeared on the Ark 21 label.
| Blue Views | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:20 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. Records (UK) Ark 21 (US) | |||
| Producer | Peter Van Hooke | |||
| Paul Carrack chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album was produced by Carrack's erstwhile Mike + The Mechanics bandmate Peter Van Hooke, who had left the group the previous year. Blue Views spun off two UK top 40 hits: "Eyes of Blue" and a re-recording of "How Long", which Carrack had originally written and sung 22 years earlier as a member of the band Ace.
In the US, "Eyes of Blue" was a minor hit on the Adult Contemporary (AC) charts, while the track "For Once in Our Lives" was a major AC hit, peaking at #3.
The song "Love Will Keep Us Alive", a Carrack co-wrote, had been previously recorded by The Eagles for their 1994 album Hell Freezes Over.
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AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls Blue Views "solid adult contemporary pop", and while criticizing some of the "spotty" material, writes that "Carrack's vocals are terrific and the sound is appealingly polished."[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eyes of Blue" | Paul Carrack | 3:59 |
| 2. | "For Once in Our Lives" | Carrack, Chris Difford | 5:53 |
| 3. | "No Easy Way Out" | Carrack, Rafe Van Hoy | 5:14 |
| 4. | "Oh Oh Oh My My My" | Carrack | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Only a Breath Away" | Carrack, Brenda Russell, Mark Cawley | 4:21 |
| 6. | "Nothing More Than a Memory" | Carrack | 4:59 |
| 7. | "Somewhere in Your Heart" | Carrack, Van Hoy | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Love Will Keep Us Alive" | Carrack, Jim Capaldi, Peter Vale | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Always Have Always Will" | Carrack, Russell, Cawley | 4:41 |
| 10. | "Don't Walk Over Me" | Carrack, Difford | 4:40 |
| 11. | "How Long" | Carrack | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Over My Shoulder" (Released on 1997 reissue and 2014 remastered edition) | Carrack, Mike Rutherford | 3:14 |
| 13. | "People Get Ready" (Released on 1997 reissue and 2014 remastered edition) | Curtis Mayfield | 2:35 |
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Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[2]
- Paul Carrack – vocals, keyboards
- Rod Argent – keyboards
- Tim Renwick – guitars (1-6, 8-11)
- Robbie McIntosh – guitars (1-6, 8-11)
- Mitch Dalton – classical guitar (1)
- Neil Hubbard – guitars (7)
- Pino Palladino – bass (1-7, 9, 10, 11)
- Keith Wilkinson – bass (8)
- Andy Newmark – drums
- Martin Ditcham – percussion
- Luís Jardim – percussion
- Frank Ricotti – percussion
- Roger Chase – viola (10)
- Bill Hawkins – viola (10)
- Perry Montague-Mason – violin (10)
- Gavyn Wright – violin (10)
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals
- Tessa Niles – backing vocals
- Lance Ellington – backing vocals (5, 9, 10)
Production
- Producer – Peter Van Hooke
- Engineers – Paul Mortimer and Simon Smart
- Assistant Engineers – Danny Dawson, Paul Hicks, Robbie Kazandjian and Guy Massey.
- Mixing – John Brough and Simon Smart
- Mastered by Chris Blair
- Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Abbey Road Studios (London, UK).
- Photography – Paul Cox
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[3] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[4] | Silver | 60,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
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